"Classmate Rody," Jill started to speak but then hesitated.

"Why waste words on him? He's as good as dead. Come with me!" The violent Ophelia forcefully grabbed Rody's hand and dragged him along. The others broke into a sweat, few worried for Rody, mostly concerned that the impulsive Ophelia might suffer greatly.

Soon, there was a loud noise from above. The group quickly rushed up.

They saw Ophelia, her clothes torn and face covered in soot, desperately waving at them to hurry. She was leading several round self-destructing puppets away, and without a moment's hesitation, everyone sprinted forward. Jill couldn't see Rody and was extremely anxious, but Sonia held her hand, compelling her to follow the group.

Reaching the tunnel's exit, another huge explosion occurred, throwing Tommy and Terry to the ground with its force.

"Ophelia, Classmate Rody!" Jill nearly burst into tears. Could they still be alive after such a terrifying explosion?

"Why are you crying? I'm not dead!" Ophelia, covered in soot, appeared at the doorway, muttered something, and then collapsed, unconscious.

"Everyone gather up, those who can move, follow me," ordered the swordsmanship instructor, Sean, who had just arrived. He instructed the attendants, "Revive these people."

"Classmate Rody is still inside, instructor, please go save him..." Jill cried out, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"There's no sign of life inside, no need to go down," Sean shook his head, refusing outright. He ordered, "Assemble immediately. We'll handle the rest. Your job is to follow orders."

"What? Classmate Rody was definitely down there..." Jill was stunned. Sean's statement meant Rody might have been killed in the explosion.

"Maybe the instructor already rescued him," Sheila quickly comforted her. "Although many students get seriously injured in the annual tests, there have never been deaths. Classmate Rody must have been rescued by the instructor. Jill, believe in Rody. He's a strong man; he won't easily be in trouble."

"Really?" Jill, half-believing and half-doubtful, saw Instructor Sean seal the exit. She kept looking back, hoping to see Rody's figure.

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In the magic surveillance room, Dean Burke observed the projected images on the wall meticulously.

Beside him stood an angry female instructor.

In a corner lay a man resembling a drunken cat, tall and muscular, dressed in tattered clothes, reeking of alcohol. His unruly hair partly concealed his thick eyebrows and scruffy beard, which looked unshaven for days.

"How many intruders got in? How could you not notice? What if a student gets hurt?" the female instructor scolded angrily.

"At least three. I suspect one is a 7th-tier assassin from the Ghost Stab group. The other two are skilled in magic disguise, or they couldn't have fooled Sean as servants. I noticed something off, and Sean has already gone to assist the students. Except for Rody, everyone has safely escaped," Dean Burke explained. "The enemy first placed a dangerous explosive puppet at the tunnel exit and set fire and poison traps. Fortunately, Sean defused them early. Except for Aaron's group, who arrived too quickly and got injured, Rody's group was unharmed."

"Rody is still inside? Could he be trying to clear the enemy?" The female instructor was surprised. "But how could he detect the invisible Ghost Stab in the dark?"

"I don't know, but he has secretly followed the enemy into a secret passage," Burke replied.

"He's just a child, how could you let him chase the enemy?" the female instructor scolded. "The talents emerging in Phileck are rarer than dragon descendants. Those useful to Phileck are one in a million. If something happens to Rody or Jill, I won't forgive you!"

"Drunkard, intercept the enemy outside. I'm heading out," Dean Burke said sternly. "Those people from Great Frey have overstepped. This time, they won't return unscathed! Paji, stay here and guard against any sneak attacks."

"Leaving now, I know what to do!" The female instructor, Paji, threw an ice ball at the drunkard's head, causing Burke to hastily exit.

"Good wine..." The drunkard, startled awake, burped.

"If you're not dead drunk, get moving! I'm furious seeing you lot!" Paji, losing her temper, seemed ready to summon a storm. Hearing her voice, the drunkard quickly sobered up and ran, dodging a series of ice balls.

In the dark secret passage, Rody cautiously moved forward.

From the beginning, he felt something was off. He couldn't pinpoint it, but there was a strange sense of unease, making the underground training ground feel ominously dangerous.

After learning psychic magic, Rody noticed a significant change in his mental power. Things that previously didn't trigger his senses now garnered more attention.

While running from the giant rolling boulder, Rody grew more vigilant. If there was to be a surprise attack, it would likely occur where it was safest and most unexpected. Trusting his instincts and caution, Rody covertly used the Obsidian Magic Mirror to inspect a suspicious dark spot, and was shocked.

What appeared to be an inconspicuous stone wall was actually a disguised human male, with active energy at 216, a close-combat warrior type, medium lethality, hostile intent. Compared to the viewer's strength, the danger level was one and a half stars.

Assessment: A human with strong hostility, equivalent in strength to a 6th-tier Sword Shadow, difficult to defeat in combat.

At that moment, Ophelia proposed to lure away the self-destructing puppets and specifically asked Rody to accompany her, which he agreed to. If everyone moved together, the enemy would likely launch a stealth attack during the puppet diversion. Rody didn't think he was the target; he suspected the enemy was after Elizabeth, Sheila, Sonia, or Jill, particularly Elizabeth and Sheila due to their special status in Phileck.

Sonia, with her silver eyes and psychic sensitivity, would be hard to assassinate.

Jill, shy and timid, likely stayed indoors previously, unknown to the enemy. The enemy might target her as a five-star magic master of Ice and Flame, especially since Elizabeth and Sheila had mentioned they couldn't participate in Great Frey's deadly training, indirectly confirming their special status in Phileck.

Rody, upon reaching the top, was more surprised. He sensed Sean secretly defusing magic traps, indicating he knew about the enemy's invasion.

Although Ophelia luring the self-destructing puppets was risky, Rody felt she was safe under Sean's covert protection. He quietly backtracked and, during the explosion's chaos, slipped past the stone wall, closely pursuing the retreating Shadow Thief.